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Gradius IV
Gradius IV Known in Japan as グラディウスIV (Gradiusu fō: Fukkatsu lit. Gradius IV: Resurrection) is the fourth arcade installment in a series of scrolling shooter video games developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo. It was preceded by Gradius III, released in 1989, although spinoffs had been released prior to it such as Gradius Gaiden. This title brings a considerable graphical upgrade, particularly with the use of colored lighting. In addition, there have been several additions and removals to the vaulted weapons system; specifically, the edit mode has been removed and an online ranking system was added. Gameplay The core gameplay of Gradius IV remains relatively unchanged. However, several changes were made on the weapons system in the transition from Gradius III. First of all, the edit mode has been completely eliminated, as are the "Snake Option" (s.option), the "Reduce" shield type, and the seventh powerup category. The seventh powerup category was the one that was labeled "!" and would produce detrimental results, such as reducing the speed or eliminating the weapons of the ship. In this game there are a total of six configurations, the first four of which are migrated from Gradius II. The two new configurations are as follows: *Configuration: The missile mode is a vertical mine that is released above and below the ship. After a short delay, the mines explode, yielding a large explosion. The double mode is the standard 45-degree angle split. The laser mode is a thin armor-piercing round that can penetrate multiple enemies. *Configuration 6: The missile mode is the flying torpedo, which produces two missiles that fly forward in front of the ship. The double mode is the tailgun, seen in other configurations. The laser is the twin laser seen in Gradius III. Starting a tradition that is continued in Gradius V, this game introduced an online-ranking system. After a player's game was over, a password was presented. This password, which was hashed scoring information, could be uploaded to a Konami website. This was only available in Japan, and was discontinued on August 27 of 1999. This was similarly done for the Gradius III and IV console release. Score recording was disabled approximately a year after its arcade brethren. Release Gradius IV never received a direct home port of its arcade version. It was included in the Gradius III and IV compilation for the PlayStation 2 in 2000 and as a part of Gradius Collection for the PlayStation Portable in 2006. The former also includes a boss rush mode (play all the game's bosses in a time attack fashion) and a stage select. Cancelled Ports A Nintendo 64 version titled Gradius 64 just planned released for 1999 but was cancelled. Music Gradius IV Fukkatsu Original Game Soundtrack was developed by Atsuki and released by Konami on March 5, 1999 in Japan. Many of Gradius IV themes appeared in the compilations Gradius Arcade Soundtrack (2002) and Gradius Ultimate Collection (2011). Reception Gradius IV received generally positive reviews. * See the game reviews of Gradius IV Development Crew * See the credits crew of Gradius IV Arcade Version * See the credits crew of Gradius IV PS2 Version * See the credits crew of Gradius IV PSP Version External Links * Gradius IV at the Killer Lists of Videogames * Gradius IV at the Hardcore Gaming 101 * Gradius IV at the Arcade-Museum * Gradius IV at the Mobygames